Realization
by MoonlightSpirit
Summary: An extended scene based on the Damon/Elena kiss in The New Deal. Elena, shocked by Damon's kiss, comes to the startling realization that she loves with Damon. Now what will she do about it? Will she finally act on the feelings she's buried so for long?


**Ummm…so…yeah…Damon and Elena kissed…THEY KISSED! I thoroughly freaked the out! Anyways, here's a little fanfic based on that kiss ;) Pretty much an extended scene of the kiss. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.**

Elena stood on her porch, still in shock by what had just happened. Her lips still tingled from where Damon's had been just moments before and her hands still hung in the air from when she had been holding on to his. She was confused and breathless and knew that this moment defined something in their relationship.

_God, just admit it Elena! Okay? You are attracted to him! And all of his bad brother glory._

Caroline had been right. Elena was attracted to Damon. More than attracted. They had…something. Something between them.

_There's something going on between us and you know it. And you're lying to me, and you're lying to Stefan and most of all, you're lying to yourself._

She had been lying. For a long time. So long that she had actually fooled herself into believing that there really was nothing between her and Damon. But it was inevitable to lie to herself now, especially after that kiss.

_I know you love Stefan. And that it will always be Stefan. But I love you…you should know that._

Love. That what she felt for Damon. The realization hit Elena like a brick wall, but it was true. That unexplainable feeling that she always had around Damon. That feeling she could never quite put into words and tried to push away. Because it scared her.

It's why she would always try to change Damon, try to make him more like Stefan. To alleviate her guilt. To have some sort of excuse to her attraction to Damon. It was like she had told Caroline. If she even let the thought of being even attracted to Damon in for a second, what did it say about her?

_If I admit it…if I even let the thought in for just a second…what does that say about me?_

_It says you're human._

Stefan was gone. That much was true. But Elena still held onto that guilt. That if she allowed herself to act on her feelings for Damon, she would be betraying Stefan. But now, Stefan didn't seem to giving a damn about her anymore. And she knew that, if Stefan were himself, he would want her to be happy. He wouldn't want to hold her back.

And then there was Damon who, for who knows how long, had been restraining himself around Elena. Trying not to push the boundaries of their friendship too far and the guilt of betraying Stefan eating away at him.

Stefan. He was the obstacle between them. And if Elena knew anything about Stefan – at least the old Stefan – she knew that he would never want to come between the happiness of Elena and his brother.

"Damon, wait!" Elena shouted out, turning to face him. In the short time it took her to have her internal conflict, Damon had made it to his car, his hand reaching into his pocket for his keys. He turned around to find Elena running toward them and before he knew it, her lips crashed onto his. It took him a second to react, to wrap his arms around her and kiss her back.

"Elena," Damon whispered, pulling away from the kiss, "But Stefan…"

"Would want this," Elena said. Damon's eyebrows shot up at this statement.

"Too long," Elena said shaking her head, "I've been denying and trying to hide and ignore it…" Elena's words became jumbled as the emotions boiled inside her.

"Elena," Damon chuckled, taking his face in her hands, "Calm down, you're babbling." Elena laughed, trying to collect her thoughts. Damon looked at Elena oddly, questioning for a moment if the beautiful girl in his arms had lost her sanity

"I love you Damon," she finally said, "Stefan…if he was himself, he wouldn't want us feeling like this. Feeling guilty for every little move or word we say to each other that may go past that boundary of friendship. He would want us to be happy. He would want us too-"

"Babbling again," Damon chuckled, this time a wide grin gracing his handsome face. He stroked Elena's cheek softly, staring into those big brown eyes.

"So you really want to do…this?" Damon asked, his bright blue eyes hopeful, "Us?" Elena nodded, smiling wider than she had for weeks.

"I love you," she said.

"And I love you Elena," Damon whispered before their lips met again for the third time that night. They held onto each other like their lives depended on it, until they – or at least Elena – had to part for air.

"Hmmm," Damon purred, looking at a spot slightly above Elena's head, "Alaric is spying on us," he whispered in her ear.

"I better go inside," Elena said, giving him one last kiss, "Goodnight Damon."

"Goodnight Elena," Damon said. He watched her walk back up the stairs and turned back to his car. Elena turned around just in time to see Damon do a happy little jig as he got back into his car and she stifled a giggle as she walked back into the house.

"Know what you're doing there?" Alaric asked from his spot on the couch. Elena looked at him and smiled.

"Yes," she proudly, "I do."

**Notice what I did there with Alaric's line ;) He said "Know what you're doing there?" to Elena after Damon left Elena's room after he tells her, "Because when I drag my brother from the edge and deliver him back to you, I want you to remember the things you felt while he was gone." At that time, Elena said "No." Now she says "Yes." ^-^ Anyways, I hope you all liked this! Please Review!**


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